Being in that courtroom changed my life.
"Because that’s how you cage a wild animal."
This was the response a defense attorney gave when asked why he was berating Briana*, a 15-year-old survivor that we serve. A “wild animal” — that’s how he chose to describe a child victim, not the defendant who sexually assaulted her, but a young girl who had bravely taken the stand to testify against her abuser.
A few months ago, Briana asked her Advocate if she could have some of the Traffick911 team in the courtroom with her as support. She wanted to know that she wasn’t alone — that there were people who believed her and were standing beside her as she shared her story with a room full of strangers.
As a member of the Development Team, I don’t typically get to work directly with survivors on a day-to-day basis. But that day, as I sat in that courtroom, I witnessed firsthand the incredible strength it takes to testify as a child, to face the trauma of reliving those experiences in front of a jury, and to do so with dignity despite the attacks that she faced from the defense. Being in that courtroom was one of the most transformative experiences of my life.
In that moment, I realized I was witnessing the very heart of what we do at Traffick911—standing in the gap for children who have endured abuse, exploitation, and attempts to silence their voices. The courage of that child, the resilience she displayed in the face of such cruelty, and the grace with which she held her head high — this was the true embodiment of a survivor.
After the trial, I realized that something felt familiar about the whole situation, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was until recently. I’ve realized that what I experienced during the trial felt familiar because it was exactly what our Advocates talk about week after week—Briana’s story isn’t a one-time incident—her story mirrors what we see time and time again for the kids that we serve.
I saw a child being treated as if they are responsible for the abuse they’ve endured and being held accountable for the actions of the adults who have exploited them.
I saw the adultification of a 15-year-old girl in real-time, as the defense attorney claimed, "She’s 15 going on 40," as an attempt to make her seem less vulnerable or less deserving of protection.
I saw a man call a child a liar, not because she was, but because calling her a liar placed the blame on someone else instead of the man who sexually assaulted her, the man he was defending.
I watched this defense attorney use air quotes when referring to her as a "victim," as if her victimization wasn’t real.
I heard a man, in his closing statement, say: “Folks, this isn’t a child. This is a person who has created this life for herself.” Placing blame, again, on a 15-year-old child and not a 60-year-old man.
In each of these moments, I saw the depth of the work we do. It’s a fight to ensure that the world doesn’t look at a 15-year-old girl and call her a liar or a "wild animal." This is a fight for every child who has been trafficked and for every child who has ever been told that what happened to them was their fault.
That week in the courtroom solidified why I do this work. In that room, I was surrounded by women I work with every day, all united in our mission to support Briana and all of the children we serve. Our job wasn’t to get on the stand and pretend to be her voice. Our job was to say, “We believe you, and we stand with you”. It was to show a child who has had adults fail her over and over again what having someone in her corner looks like. It’s a reminder of the power of advocacy, the strength of survivors, and the transformative impact of a community that believes in them. While I may never meet this survivor again, she gave me something that I will carry with me for as long as I do this work… a first-hand look at the resiliency of a child survivor.
I hope, in reading this, you get a glimpse of Briana’s strength and the strength of the children that we serve. They are not defined by their trauma. They are not defined by the lies told about them. They are strong. They are brave. They are resilient. They are survivors.
When you make a special gift for #GivingTuesday, you are ensuring that each child with a story like Briana’s gets a highly-trained advocate in their corner, ready to walk with them through every step of their healing journey. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for standing with them.
Until all are free,
Maria Mills
P.S. Justice was indeed served—Brianna’s perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison.
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*To preserve and protect the identities and dignity of the young people we serve, Traffick911 may substitute certain details and will always utilize pseudonyms.